In sharp contrast to her lack of skill when it came to handling matters related to love, the way Noelle took care of monitoring and dealing with threats left very little room for ‘uncertainties’, especially after the mishap at the Bucherer’s race track.
Naturally, it was impossible for Alexander to be admitted to the Green Leaf Hospital without the news making its way over to Noelle’s ears.
Her first reaction was, of course, that Emilia must have done something without letting her know… again.
After all, what was the likelihood of someone who had just entered Emilia’s crosshairs ending up at the hospital by ‘pure chance’?
But after checking in with the people she had assigned to watch over her, Noelle realized that the girl’s location data did not indicate any abnormality at all, and even now she was at the ‘training facility’ of her fan club.
After discussing the matter with an equally confounded Sam, Noelle decided it was better to clarify the matter directly with Emilia, face to face, just in case the girl was being a naughty little troublemaker in secret.
Unfortunately, Emilia didn’t seem to take the situation seriously at all, and it had already been more than two hours since Noelle sent her that message.
If not for Crystal’s message letting her know that she should wait, the gray-haired girl would have thought that Emilia hadn’t seen her message at all.
To say that Noelle was annoyed would be an understatement.
Sam was already having a headache just watching the usually calm older girl pace around back and forth. “You know, although Emilia is a bit naughty at times, she wouldn’t do anything major without warning us in advance.”
Noelle paused in her steps before turning to give her a stern look. “Even so, she should still take the situation seriously! Not even letting us know right away that it wasn’t her doing… if I don’t scold her when she gets here… can you imagine how unruly she’ll get in the future?”
Sam wanted to say that ‘at least she’ll show up when you ask her’, but in the end, she could only sigh.
Knowing Noelle, she would just continue to put up a tough front while covering all her wounds, and mentioning such things would only make it worse.
Fortunately, the front desk informed them of Emilia’s arrival shortly after.
Noelle frowned as she took a seat in the lounging area and gave Sam a meaningful look. “When she comes in, just let me speak, alright?”
The brunette nodded. “Sure.”
Noelle hummed. “No helping her downplay things, or divert the topic, got it?”
Sam smiled. “Okay, as you wish.”
The gray-haired girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “And you’re absolutely not allowed to coddle her while we’re talking, understand?”
Sam saluted the older girl like a soldier. “Yes ma’am.”
Noelle couldn’t help but roll her eyes, but she was still satisfied with her response.
Settling back into the sofa, the gray-haired girl started brewing her emotions to give her little boss a proper lecture today so she can set certain ‘ground rules’ when it came to how naughty she was allowed to be.
Unfortunately, no matter how calm and obedient Sam seemed while Emilia wasn’t there, all logical thought flew right out of the window the moment her eyes landed on her little sister.
”Emilia!”
Sam had shot up from her chair the moment the door opened, but before she could take even a single step forward, a crimson shadow whooshed from the door, right past the lounging area, and plunged straight into her embrace.
The two of them collapsed back onto the large office chair in a fit of giggles, with Emilia soon settling down to cuddle with Sam on her lap.
”Did you miss me, big sis?”
Sam hummed contently as she pulled the younger girl tighter in her embrace. “What took you so long, angel? Noelle kept bullying me while you weren’t here, you know?”
”Aww…” Although she knew that the older girl was joking, Emilia still couldn’t help but peck kiss her adorably pouting lips a few times before snuggling into her neck affectionately. “How could you bully my poor big baby, Noelle?”
The gray-haired girl couldn’t help but roll her eyes. ‘Can you believe a pervert that is too busy sniffing and molesting their little sister like that be bullied by me in any way? It’s good enough if she doesn’t worry me to death!’
Looking at the two sisters nuzzling affectionately without a care in the world, Noelle felt more and more sure that Emilia’s presence must directly reduce Sam’s memory and IQ by at least ninety percent.
Noelle shook her head in denial. ‘No, that’s not it. Just thinking about her little sister must render Sam into an idiot!’
The limits of her patience soon wore thin, but a certain idiot continued to remain completely oblivious.
Fortunately, unlike her older sister, Emilia was still able to feel the dark aura wafting off of Noelle, and realized that things may not bode well if she continued playing around.
After placating Sam with another kiss on her cheek, the crimson-haired girl quickly darted back to the lounging area before settling down obediently next to Noelle. “I’m sorry for being late.”
Looking at the younger girl giving her a ‘pitiful’ look with her hands on her knees, Noelle could only sigh in defeat. “I don’t understand… Why is it that I can’t scold you even though I’ve been preparing for so long? No, to be honest, you really deserve a beating, but…”
”Ehehe… Isn’t it because you love me so much?”
Seeing Emilia flutter her eyelashes with a bright smile lighting up her already gorgeous face, Noelle didn’t need to hear her response at all, though it didn’t help her already frantic heart.
”W-Wait… hold on! We have something important to discuss!”
Emilia blinked. “Oh… what is it?”
Noelle breathed a sigh of relief when she successfully regained some semblance of control over their conversation. “Alexander! T-That’s right, didn’t you read my message?”
The crimson-haired girl smiled. “Oh, that… I did, but it’s not really as important as you believe. Don’t worry, I know he’s been hospitalized, but it’s nothing serious. And most importantly… everything will work out in our favor in the end.”
Listening to her wording, Noelle couldn’t help but purse her lips and give the younger girl a suspicious look. “Are you sure this isn’t your doing?”
Emilia covered her mouth with an overly shocked look. “Of course not, ahh! Noelle, do you think I’ll do something like this without letting you know?”
The gray-haired girl looked at her with a deadpan expression. “… wouldn’t you?”
Emilia turned away, looking shy. “Well… if the situation called for it, I might? But even then, I would still let you know afterwards!”
Before Noelle could roll her eyes, the crimson-haired girl had already shuffled closer and placed her delicate chin on her shoulder, her expression both teasing yet innocent.
The long, fluttering eyelashes seemed to tickle the side of her face and her heart all at once, and for a moment, Noelle even forgot to breathe when Emilia’s breath brushed past her ear.
”After all… I depend on you.”
Even if Noelle could deny the blush on her face and the frantically beating heart in her chest, there was no way she could deny the thoughts that rang oh so clearly through her own mind.
”…There’s no arguing with you, is there?”
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